Fear No Evil
by VelveteenCloud
Summary: Unlike these ridiculous dwarves, Poppy had no desire to go "chasing the dragon". She loved a good adventure, but as long as she was home in time for tea. Can 13 dwarves open her eyes to a magical world beyond the Shire? And can she make one particular dwarf realise that there is more to life than glory, stone and gold? AU - Fili/OC, Bilbo/Thorin (T for the moment)
1. Chapter 1

_**Disclaimer: I unfortunately have no rights over Tolkien's masterpieces or over the work of David Day "A Guide to Tolkien". I do lay claim to Poppy and any other minor OC that will pop up along the way.**_

* * *

Bilbo Baggins was a simple hobbit. Similar to most other hobbits he liked structure and order. Each morning he would wake with the sun and lie in bed for a minute or two basking in the orange-yellow glow that peeked through the plaid curtains into his bedroom. He would stretch his arms high above his head with a content grin, before throwing back the quilt and sitting up straight on the edge of his bed. He would wiggle his furry toes and with one last yawn he was up and off to the kitchen for the first of the day's many meals. Yes, that was how Bilbo Baggins liked his mornings.

He then liked to spend the rest of the day reading his maps and books, breaking up his study with yet another meal or a minute, or forty, outside smoking his pipe and observing Hobbiton's inhabitants from his superior location outside Bag End. Bilbo would end each day by locking up his little hobbit hole and slowly crawling back into bed. Once he has wriggled about and nested himself in the covers he couldn't help but think how happy he was with his quiet and comfortable life in the Shire; a charmed life that no one could possible ruin for him.

Little did Bilbo know that one day in the very, very near future, he would be proven wrong and his life would be thrown into complete and utter chaos. As a matter of fact the life of another little hobbit of the Shire would be turned upside down with the arrival of dark shadows at dusk.

* * *

"So an elf, an orc and a goblin walk into an inn…"

"For Mahal's sake Kili! I've heard that ruddy joke four times in the past week. It was not funny the first time and I doubt that it would have gotten any funnier."

"Alright Fili. No need to get your arse in your hand. You've been in a foul mood since that human called you a pretty, dwarf lass. You should have taken it as a compliment."

Fili stopped dead in his track, sky blue eyes darkening as he stared at his oblivious brother.

If anyone would have been walking along the last dust track into Hobbiton they would have been shocked and probably terrified at the sight of two dwarven travellers rolling around and shouting at each other in the middle of the road.

"Well Kili, if it is such a compliment why did you break the Smithy in Bree's nose for asking why a 'wee, dwarf lady was roaming? Hypocrite!"

The two brothers continued to scuffle on the road. They were taking weeks of anguish, hunger, exhaustion and frustration out on each other, particularly unusual for this pair. However their spat quickly turned into nothing more than horse play, and as always said horse play got out of hand, especially without their mother there to reprimand them. The two tumbled down the small embankment through weeds and flowers straight into the back of a little figure dressed in dusty pink.

"Ahhhhhhh"

The brothers halted in their actions and quickly whipped their heads to the side, Fili's braid smacking Kili in the face. They saw nothing though. Just a few bubbles floating on the surface of the river…right in front of a little rug and picnic basket…

"Shit!"

Both men began tearing their overcoats and boots off, once again fuming at one another.

"It's your fault Kili!"

"My fault?! You were the one that started this. You always have to get physical don't you, just like Uncle. You can't sit down for a minute and discuss your issues like an adult."

"You sound like one of those poncy, tree-shaggers now!"

The two men squared off against one another once more. Face to face. Large nose to large nose. Completely oblivious to both their states of half dress (Kili with one boot on and another off and Fili with his head half out of his tunic) and the small creature that had drug itself out of the water in the meantime.

Spluttering slightly, the small figure laid itself flat out on its stomach, savouring the feeling of solid ground under its form and breathing heavily.

The brothers were still oblivious to the presence of the little critter. That was until Fili gave Kili a good hard shove sending him sprawling over their latest victim. Confused as to the soft cushioning under her his head, Kili tried to push himself up feeling his fingers tangle in something wet that felt like pond weed.

"Ow get off me! You're pulling my hair!"

Startled into standing the brothers finally acknowledge the being that they had shoved unceremoniously into the river. In front of them, cradling her head in her hands was a small female. She didn't quite look like a human, or a dwarf or even an elf…thank Mahal.

Kili nudged his brother in the side and whispered harshly in Khuzdul, "What is it?"

Fili could only shrug in reply. He was trying to figure that question out himself.

The small girl had finally caught her breath and soothed the ache in her head. She stumbled onto all fours, pushing herself up slowly to stand, swaying slight on the uneven ground of the bank. The dwarves finally got a good look at her as she stood up straight, fisted clenched at her sides, knuckles turning white around the material of her white apron.

She could be no taller than 4 foot, roughly the same size as an average female dwarf. The only difference between her and a female dwarf however, was that this young lady was far less stocky, with only a smattering of hair on her feet, rather than on her chin. Auburn, almost dark brown curls framed a pale, soft, baby face and trailed down a few inches past her shoulders. Her eyes were stormy blue and rounded, looking almost sleepy, framed by long dark lashes. She had large pointed ears, like an elf, but they concluded quickly that she was no elf due to her stature and her larger, slightly upturned nose (Elves were of course perfectly in every single way and as such they has small straight noses that looked like they were carved from marble…rolls eyes). Their eyes continued down her face from her nose to her thin, dark pink lips and from there even further down to her slim neck and her fairly amble….

"Ughum"

This cough pulled the brothers back to reality. On second glance the girl in front of them did not look happy. No, no, no - far from it in fact. Her face was drawn into a tight scowl that only made her look like a petulant toddler.

Before Fili could ask the lass in front of him what her name was, and of course offer his sincerest apologies for nearly killing her, his delightful younger brother beat him to it.

"What are you?"

'Ah Kili', Fili thought giving his brother a deadpanned stare, 'eloquent and tactile as always'.

"Usually when you meet someone for the first time you ask them 'who are you?', or 'how do you do?' not 'what are you?' Did your mother never teach you manners or social graces? And besides that, are you not going to apologise for pushing me into a fast flowing river, leaving me in said river and then practically squashing me?"

Wow, she was bitching. The brothers rolled their eyes and fell easily into their mischievous countenance they usually reserved for elderly and cantankerous dwarves.

"Fairest beauty" Began the eldest brother, swaggering up to the small female, golden mane blowing slightly in the breeze. "I would like to extend my sincerest apologies to you on behalf of my brother and I. We are complete and utter disgraces to the dwarven race and should be struck where we stand by the mighty hammer of Aule. Please forgive us, for I do not think we could live on knowing we have offended a gentle flower. I am Fili."

The darker, swarthy looking dwarf followed in his brother's path closer to their prey. "And I am Kili."

"At your service." They chimed in unison, bowing low and sweeping an arm to the side in a grandiose and unnecessary gesture.

"What may be call you sweet princess?" Kili practically purred.

Completely unamused, still soaked through and increasingly miffed, the female answered. "If you must know my name is Poppy Underhill and I am quite obviously a hobbit! I would say it's a pleasure to meet you, but frankly I would be lying. Good day to you sirs."

And with that the no longer anonymous hobbit lass grabbed her basket, blanket and soft brown leather shoes and huffed on up to the main road. Dumbfounded at what just happened, Fili and Kili looked at one another before quickly grabbing their bags and discarded clothes and rushing in the direction Poppy had just scampered off to.

Poppy was in turmoil as she sped off towards Hobbiton – she was both angry and embarrassed. Mostly embarrassed at what had just occurred though. She had never spoken to anybody in such a way before. Well that is if you exclude the telling off she gave Rosie Jumbleweed, who deliberately dropped a whole jar of blackberry jam down her new white dress at the May Day banquet, when she was 25. She was a Underhill after all – they were supposed to be of a docile character; calm and collected with an inquisitive side that was rarely sated. She wasn't one of those crazy Sackville-Baggins or an eccentric Took that had no other volume other than screaming. Oh dear she needed to lie down. The inside of her head felt as if ten thousand dwarfs were simultaneously forging swords…urgh dwarves. She could never understand why the Harfoot hobbits had anything to do with them. They were smelly, dirty, loud and handsome. No wait, they weren't handsome! They didn't have nice hairy feet or round soft bellies like hobbit men did…or did they? No, they were probably made entirely of muscle, stomachs as hard as….Poppy had to cut off her own internal monologue before she passed out – all the blood was rushing to her face causing her to blush redder than a beetroot at her increasingly sordid thoughts. Heaving a great sigh she trundled onwards and out of the woodland. The setting sun kissed her face once more and she sighed in relief when she saw the market square; only 40 more minutes of walking and she would be back in her family's nice hobbit hole. She'd be clean and warm, with a cup of tea in one hand and a scone in the other. Her mood was lifting and no one could ruin it again.

She should have touched wood though. Unfortunately less than ten yards down the road she began to faintly hear two unfortunately familiar voices, pleading with her to stop. She slowed down, eyes glazed, furiously debating with herself whether to take pity on these obviously deranged dwarves or whether to run faster than Drogo Baggins did when Primula Brandybuck's father found them rolling in the hay last Midsummer's Eve. Guilt and curiosity won with Poppy though, as it always did, and she stopped. The two dwarves, the dark haired one still devoid of a boot, jogged up to her, bending over slightly and breathing deeply.

"Urgh…dwarves were not built to…travel that fast over long distances… we're natural sprinters." Poppy couldn't help but snort at Kili's ridiculous comment. From the little she knew of dwarves they were rovers, constantly travelling great distances, what would a two mile run be to them. She wouldn't mention it though, she'd already been rude enough today. If her mother every found out she was sure that her mouth would be filled with that horrible fish oil soap she kept under the sink for when granddad came to stay….she could never understand why he used it though. Why would any sane person want to smell like a fish? Unless, she though, he did it to keep the little ones away from him when he was napping after elevenses.

Once again she was away with the fairies as the two dwarves stared on; one in curiosity at what the little hobbit could be thinking that caused a smile to spread on her face and the other in concern that maybe they'd caused permanent damage to her brain after the accident.

Fili tentatively stepped up to her and patted her on her shoulder "Erm, are you well my lady? Do we need to get you to a healer? We are sorry we did not realise we had caused you so much injury in the fall."

Partially aware of her surroundings she jumped at the contact with the dwarf, blushing at their proximity before stepping back. It wasn't really proper to be so closed to a strange man when you were unmarried or without a chaperone. "No, no I'm perfectly fine. I apologise about earlier, I'm not used to having…encounters of that nature. It is quite peaceful here in the Shire after all and you can usually never find anyone down by the river, since most the Hobbits here are afraid of water, so I was not expected to meet anyone there let alone be pushed into the river by dwarves. Dwarves! Dwarves can you believe it! Luckily I can swim quite well it must be my Stoor blood, not many Stoors left around nowadays though, but alas I digress. What was it I could help you with?"

It was Kili's turn to snort in amusement "Do you always ramble on like that or is it a Stoor thing again?"

Poppy didn't appreciate that. She had apologised for being rude and it felt as if the young, handsome dwarf had thrown it back in her face. Whilst it was probably a joke, it still hurt. With a sigh, she shook her head, turned about and headed off on the path that circled the village, feeling like a bit of a fool once again.

Fili couldn't understand what just happened. One minute Poppy was being bubbly, if not a tad awkward with her obviously nervous chatter and then the next she looked as if someone had killed her kitten. Fili was going to chase after her and make Kili apologise but they were already going to be late for the meeting at the burglar's home. Fili swiftly smacked his brother round the back of the head.

"What was that for?! Completely uncalled for! That is common assault, wait until I tell Uncle. Violence once more, we're going to be facing many a foe on this journey – you should be injuring them, not me!"

"How old are you Kili?" Fili asked staring incredulously at his younger brother; really if he didn't look like Thorin and his mother, he would question if they were related. "Well there goes our only hope of finding Bag End before all the food gets eaten. Come on, I am sure there cannot be too many hobbity burglars around here."

"Well I hope all hobbits are not as sensitive as her. I thought she was going ether going to kill us or keel over."

And so the brothers continued on the path towards the market place, chatting lightly about dinner, seeing old companions and their journey ahead…Kili still with only one boot on. All the while Fili was hoping that he'd see the little hobbit Poppy again before he left in the morning, if not to apologise, then just to see the small smile and dusty blush that adorned her face when he was close to her.

* * *

Hoi! So I thought I'd try something new and actually finish a story I write.

This particular story as you can guess is an AU story, but it won't necessarily be a 15th member of the company story. I am also sorry if anybody ends up being a bit OOC, I haven't quite finished the book/gotten to grips with characters yet.

It is a very slow and probably confusing beginning, I do apologise for that - I wanted the story to actually include Bilbo's journey as well as Poppy's, since after all Bilbo is the hero! Also I feel he will need a little bit of love along the way too. I hoped that the monotony and comfort of the hobbits' lives came out here.

Also as a side note Poppy isn't entirely like a regular hobbit. I didn't really want her to be related to Bilbo (i.e. a Took), but I still wanted her to have a slightly adventurous/eccentric side. Ergo I mentioned that she is like a Stoor hobbit - according to David Day's book, these hobbits are more like men (bigger, can swim and wear shoes when it is muddy). This may make Poppy seem like a Mary-Sue but please believe me that is not my aim. I'd like to add a realistic (is that even possible) aspect to this story, especially after having a conversation with my friends about what you would do if you were caught up in an adventure/zombie apocalypse...we unanimously decided we would all probably die within the first hour.

So anyways, sorry for the rambling. I hope you enjoyed it. Reviews/Constructive feedback would be wonderful.

Enjoy your evening!


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer - I don't owe anything identifiable with Tolkien...everything else is mine though, thanks :) Sorry for the delay, and what's probably a filler. Enjoy anyway though.**

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Poppy turned the doorknob to her family's hobbit hole in Nettledowns as gently as possible. Rising onto her tiptoes, she slowly began to push the door open until there was enough room for her slight body to get through the gap. Luckily she didn't have any buttons on the front of her dress otherwise she was sure that she would have been stuck between the door and its frame. She stopped breathing. She had successfully gotten into the house. Now all she had to do was close the door and sneak to the bedroom she shared with her young niece before anyone could see her – then she could pretend that she had been in there napping all afternoon. She surveyed the room. Excellent no one was about; it seemed that everyone was in the kitchen at the back of the hole. Turning on her tiptoes as quiet as a mouse she thanked the stars that her mother hadn't heard her…

"Poppy Bullroarer Underhill! Where have you been? You're soaked through! And you're late for supper!"

Shit! Why did this always happen to her? Why must her mother have been cursed with the largest ears and sharpest hearing in the Shire? Why did she have to have such a ridiculous name? Why couldn't she have floated off downstream when she was pushed in the river? Or gone with those dwarves? Surely anything would be better than the fate that was probably going to befall her at the hands of her mother. Slamming her head into the door and muttering silent curses, she schooled her face into a look of shame and regret.

"Errr…good evening mother. As in I wish to wish you a good evening, as just a greeting, but if you think that I was simply asking a question as to whether the evening is good for the weather or the company, then you make take from my statement what you will, otherwise I will not wish you good evening at all to avoid confusion and just say hello Mum."

Her mother just stared at her and rolled her eyes, obviously the girl had hit her heat during the day or her father-in-law's insanity was contagious, "You're starting to sound as crazed as that bloody wizard. Now stop avoiding the question. Where have you been?"

"Wizard? Wizard! There was a wizard here. Where is he now? Is he the one that gave Jumbo all those fireywork-thingys for Laurel Cotton's wedding? I wish I could meet…"

"Poppy!" Her mother shouted, cutting her off dead.

"Right... Sorry, sorry. I was down by the Brandywine River after my piano lesson with Mr Baggins when all of a sudden some force pushed me headfirst into the river. I thought I was going to die! But luckily as you know I am a brilliant swimmer and pulled myself out quick sharp." So that wasn't entirely true, she could barely doggy paddle (and she thought Stoor hobbits were supposed to be good swimmers, bloody Burrow blood had to water it all down centuries ago!)- after thinking she was going to drown for a good minute or two she eventually put her feet down and realised that she was actually still in her depth. But still she had to wade to the bank and drag herself up the bank which would have been just as much work as swimming would have been. "Then to my surprise, I discovered that I had been pushed into the river by two brawling dwarves!"

Her mother looked exasperated. Another one of Poppy's hair brained stories that she must have concocted to avoid getting into trouble; last time pixies had apparently stolen the washing off the line, in reality the bed sheet were all hidden underneath the wheelbarrow. Well her mother wasn't a fan of needless tall tale telling. After decades of battling with the strong willed and imaginative girl, she was most likely going to either wash Poppy's mouth out with granddad's soap or tie her ankle to the bed post so she can't go about causing more trouble in the Shire.

"Dwarves? You met Dwarves? That's not fair. What were they like?" Poppy's mother, Pandora was startled from her reverie (it seemed day dreaming was a common disease in the Nettle-Underhill family) at her young granddaughter's voice.

"Well…" Poppy began, stooping to the same level as her niece, "They were hideous creatures. Dressed in orc hide and rusted armour…with gold teeth and dirty, great beards full of rotting food that dragged on the floor. They had huge crooked noses and voices that sounded like gravel when you stepped on it. I was lucky to escape with my life intact."

Pandora had given up. She gave a sigh and shook her head; planting her hands on her hips as she looked on at her middle child who was still recounting the tale of her 'miraculous escape from the evil dwarves'. She would never be able to control her children or their vivid imaginations. She thought back to when her twin boys were younger, they were convinced that the spices brought from the East were actually packets of fairy dust - between dousing small faunts with cinnamon to help them fly and selling the saffron onto travellers for fortune, they caused mayhem in the Shire…she thought she'd have a heart attack! 'They must get it from their father's side. He was always telling them stories of hobbits big enough to ride horses and fight goblins'.

"…He then told me that if I did not give him all the gold and gems I had on my person, he would skin me alive and eat me!"

"That is enough now Poppy!" Pandora scolded "Stop telling those awful tales. It is hard enough to get Daisy to sleep at night without you giving her night terrors. Go wash those mucky paws of yours and get into the kitchen. Let us hope for your sake your father has not decided to eat your dinner."

With the threat of food being held hostage, Poppy jumped off the ground, pulling her niece up onto her hip and running into the kitchen.

* * *

Meanwhile fifteen minutes away in a house called Bag End, another hobbit was having a crisis over food.

"Put it back! I said put it back this instant! Did no one ever teach you any manners?! This is theft!" Bilbo Baggins was frantic, pulling at his red-gold curls in frustration as twelve hungry dwarves raided his pantry and fen-shuey'd his home to suit their needs.

"I knew he would be as sensitive as the other one." Kili shouted to Fili as they lugged a barrel of ale into the makeshift dining room.

"Aye, but he doesn't go a nice shade of pink like the other one did…this poor bugger looks like he's going to collapse any minute."

Kili stared at his brother incredulously, "She didn't go a nice shade of pink. There was nothing nice about her. I've met orcs with more personality than her."

Dwalin pushed past the brothers, clapping Kili on the back making him pitch forward slightly, "How can ye say that? Ye've never met an orc before. All ye've done in yer short life is chase skirt and suckle on yer ma's teat."

Kili turned an unflattering shade of red, which burnt from the top of his large rounded ears, down past the collar of his worn tunic. It took all Fili was worth to keep from howling with laughter. Yes it was true his brother was young and inexperienced in the art of battle…and general affairs of the world…but he supposed that he was in the same position. Kili was a good shot and enthusiastic to boot. Fili was sure they would be fine. After all how bad could things get, right?

Eventually the dwarves settled slightly. Their manly screams of delight had descended into a dull roar as they consumed the glorious spread they had helped themselves to. Bilbo was still on the brink of a nervous breakdown though. What would the neighbours think? Life could be hard enough at times being related to Tooks and now he had a small troop of dwarves in his hallway that would have no doubt caused some minor disaster on the way through Hobbiton up to Bag End.

Bilbo perked up slightly though when he became aware of the new line of conversation the dwarves were taking – they were talking about women; hobbit women to be precise. Hobbit women…named…Poppy Underhill…oh sweet Valar what did they do to that poor girl. They didn't accost her did they, she was practically still a child; barely out of her tweens and only a few years over being the age of majority.

"Aye laddie, what did that wee lass do to have ye so riled up?!" Dwalin boomed across the table to Kili who was currently attempting to stuff as much bacon into his mouth as possible.

Fili decided to answer for him, not wanting his little brother to choke in his attempts to sully the reputation of a complete stranger.

"He's just angry that this little filly didn't warm to his advances. Who would though after you push her into a river, pulled her hair and insulted her?"

Fili smirked around his tank of ale at his younger brother, whose eyebrows were furrowing with frustration and ire. Kili did always have a volatile temper. He had probably developed it as a coping mechanism for the teasing he got as a youngster since his beard or his nose didn't grow as fast as all the other children's did. Fili could remember the time his little brother took a training sword and tried to stab Tyr when he likened the small child to an elfling. That was actually the reason why Kili learned to use a bow and arrow, well a bow and un-tipped arrow. He'd been barred by their uncle from touching anything sharp and pointy after that incident. Fili smirked at the memory. Tyr still walked with a limp to this day.

"That is not what happened! Ever the gentle-dwarf I aided the distressed maiden, only to be insulted and shunned due to my race."

"Bullshit!" Fili called, "Poppy was understandably upset and then you had to tell she was an idiot."

"Oh calling her Poppy now…when's the wedding?" The dwarves began to bicker once more and banter back and forth about the heir's attraction to little hobbits.

"Poppy? As in Poppy Underhill from Nettledown?" The little hobbit chimed in, finally voicing his worry for his old student.

"Aye I believe that was her name" Kili replied, "Why the concern Mister Boggins? Is she your lady friend?" Kili gave Bilbo an exaggerated wink, causing the rest of the dwarves to laugh loudly at the tiny man's pink ears and open mouth.

"W-what? No! She is merely my piano student. I have been teaching her since she was a tiny halfling. She hasn't improved much since then but she is diligent. She is alright though isn't she? I hope you didn't hurt her too badly. She wouldn't be used to used to all the rough housing, poor might is probably scarred for life. I'll have to go visit her tomorrow and make sure she is well."

Fili stood from his seat next to his brother and clambered down the table once more. He grabbed the pacing man by his shoulders and looked him directly in the eye, speaking firmly and slow with an air of irritation and a deadly promise hidden deep inside his voice. "She is fine and well; just a bit damp and nursing a wounded pride. We may be rough around the edges but we would never hurt a woman."

As Fili straightened himself up and turned to the barrel to get himself more ale, Balin carried on speaking with the hobbit. "Aye he's right lad. Women are very precious to us dwarves. There aren't many around you see. We like to keep them tucked away safe and sound." The old dwarf explained smiling lightly at the hobbit, understanding where the little man was coming from. "Why, if the Durin's were any lesser dwarves they would have probably had your tongue for insinuating that they'd hurt a lass."

Bilbo went pale at the prospect of a dwarf cutting his tongue out. He glanced at the youngest Durin brother who sat there with a sinister glint in his eye, fingers toying with a butter knife on the table.

The dwarf with the oversized hat, Bofur they called him, sidled up to the hobbit and nudged him roughly nearly knocking Bilbo off his feet. "Now sit down an' eat. There'sa good fella!" Sighing in resignation Bilbo realised that these dwarves weren't going to leave for a while…or at least until they had eaten every last crumb in his pantry. Leaning forward, he did as best as he could to sneak a sausage from the plate next to the very tall and intimidating dwarf Dwalin. Well if the tattooed brute was going to eat his trout and every other bloody thing in his house, he was going to deprive the thug of some of the finer foods on the table…like the apple and pork sausages.

"Put it back." Dwalin intoned – well there goes Bilbo's plan of at least getting something to eat tonight.

Slumping down in his seat Bilbo picked up some neglected celery from the edge of a cleared cheese board. The dwarves didn't appear to be great lovers of salad or vegetables, so at least he wouldn't starve. Taking a bite out of the end of the half broken stick, Bilbo began to chew gloomily, mourning the loss of his trout, 40 day matured beef and Mrs Dandyraft's homemade rhubarb crumble.

"Urm Mr Baggins…" Bilbo heaved another great sigh, wondering idly how he hadn't been driven to insanity within the past hour – and what that strange smell was. Bilbo turned in his chair to find the youngest dwarf in the company rocking idly on the balls of his feet. His face was tinged red and his fingers were twiddling with themselves furiously under his knitted mittens. "I'm very sorry, but your toilet seems to be blocked." So that's why the house was starting to smell like shit…

* * *

Poppy sat at the kitchen table wolfing down her plate of mashed potatoes and gravy. Her chicken was long gone and the green beans were flicked onto the floor alongside her niece's carrots and a dust bunny. Daisy sat to her right kicking her tiny legs furiously under the table, slightly overgrown feet thumping steadily at the table leg and clotted cream smeared around her little mouth. She was listening excitedly to her grandfather's tale about the Grey wizard who stopped by the house earlier on for a cup of tea and directions to Bag End.

"He could barely fit through the door. There he was sat Daisy, on your little chair, smoking a long wooden pipe and drinking from a tiny teacup that he drank in one gulp! His voice boomed so loud that the chandeliers rocked!" Jumbo jumped in his chair, arms stretched out, exaggerating his point. Daisy startled and Poppy grinned, gravy dripping from her lip.

"What was he like? What did he say? Is he still at Bag End? Can I go see him?!" Poppy jabbered excitedly, her little niece nodding along rapidly.

"Yeah! Yeah! Yeah!" Daisy giggled. "I wanna see Poppy's dwarves too!"

"Daisy! Down from that chair! Chairs are for sitting on, not standing on. Poppy, be quiet and eat your food. You're lucky you even got any this evening. And you Jumbo" Pandora swung round, tea towel fisted in her hand "Stop telling them outrageous stories."

"They aren't stories though my love." Jumbo said. He levelled a stare at his wife, taking her hand gently in his, kissing her knuckles lightly. "They are facts. They are the everyday occurrences our girls need to know about. They need to know that there is a life outside of this valley. I got my chance to travel…I got to see the world west of these woods. I got to see the silver sea leading to the undying lands and the dusty plains to the east of the Green Wood. My journeys led me to you, hidden in a tiny Hamlet on the edge of Bree" Pandora's eyes softened at her husband. He really was a sweet man under all that eccentricity – to her he was a challenge, wild and untameable. Everyday they've had together has brought along something new and exciting. She could honestly say that whilst her family drove her to distraction, she lived a blessed life, unlike those bores in Hobbiton.

"Daddy's right mother. We are the decedents of Stoor hobbits! Adventure is in our blood! Where else will I be able to wear my boots that the man from Gondor made for me?" Poppy declared kneeling on her chair waving her potato laden fork in the air, successfully managing to fling mash around the room.

Pandora walked out of the room despairing. No, she took all of what she just though back, she'd rather live with the decrepit Slugroots who were known for falling asleep everywhere and anywhere…at least then she would have peace, quiet and less cleaning to do. She closed the door to her bathroom, hoping for a hot soak in lavender water. Maybe whilst she was tucked in the bathroom her daughter would be considerate enough to clean up the mess in the kitchen. On second thoughts, it was more likely that one of Poppy's dwarves would come knocking at the door, than one of her kin being considerate of their old and worn mother. Pandora snorted at the thought as she submerged her head under the water's surface, ignoring the rubber duck that had settled itself on the top of her head.

* * *

"Grandpa? Do dwarves really exist?" Little Daisy sleepily asked Jumbo ask he tucked his little granddaughter into bed for the night.

"Yes they do my little ladybug, but they aren't as awful as your Aunty has made them out to be." He softly intoned, brushing her dark gold curls from her forehead. "Dwarves are majestic creatures. Larger and wider than any hobbit I have ever met…"

"Really Grandpa? Bigger than you and Daddy? But you're the biggest hobbit in Nettledowns"

"Yes!" Jumbo loudly whispered, "Even bigger than us. They're stronger than human men, wielding huge axes and mighty war hammers. The dwarven men have hair longer than any lady hobbit and the dwarven women have more facial hair than any hobbit man." Daisy was awed. She tried to stifle a yawn but failed – the little faunt finally succumbed to sleep, no longer able to stay awake and listen to more stories of the creatures of Middle Earth. Jumbo kissed his only granddaughter on the forehead and pulled the covers right up to her chin. She reminded him oh so much of his own little girls at that age. Full of wonder and an insatiable imagination, but as with most hobbits their imaginations died off slightly with their fading youths.

Yes Poppy still loved stories, but she no longer wanted to run away from the Shire like he had done as a lad. She was an intelligent girl, but she was not savvy enough to survive in this world without his protection. His thoughts had turned to his mortality a lot after his eighty-sixth birthday. He was nearing the end of his life and he still had a young daughter reliant upon him – she had not married yet and this troubled him to an extent; he did not want to leave this world not knowing whether she would be loved, cherished and protected. All his other children had found their other halves already. His eldest daughter had married a Fallowhide hobbit by the name Jacko Newmorn, a relatively tall chap with strange gold curls and a round cheery face; he was a good lad…urm…safe and unadventurous. He had managed to tame his wild daughter on the summer equinox with a song about the elves of the Greenwood. They had their wee babe Daisy just over 10 years ago and were currently expecting again – it was a difficult pregnancy though, she had been ordered to bed by the midwife in her third month until the babe was born, which formed part of the reason Daisy had been staying with them these last couple of months. Even his young twin boys, who were only a year or two over majority age, had found their 'soul mates' – a laughable thing, especially since these girls were descendents of Tooks; they were probably wilder than his own girls and the least likely to settle down any time before the grave. They'd be fine though, they were hardy lads. No, his youngest daughter was the one that gave him sleepless nights…men didn't seem entirely attracted to her. Maybe they were intimidated by her slightly taller than average hobbit height. Maybe they didn't see her as a mother figure for their future faunts. He didn't know, but as he saw her curled up on a ratty armchair by fireplace dozing lightly, he didn't care what those men did or didn't see in his babe. If he had his way he would never have her marry – no one would ever be good enough for her.

He turned around towards to kitchen, dodging the slippery mash dollops on the floor. His head was pounding and he was hungry. There was a summer berry muffin with his name on it and now he could eat it guilt free without Pandora poking at his belly, telling him to watch his weight. His eyes rolled around in his head as he bit into the soft, vanilla sponge, humming in satisfaction. He grabbed his pipe from above the kitchen stove and headed off towards the living room to settle down in the warmth for the night. Just as he was lowering himself onto his favourite chair, there was a loud rapping at the door. His moustache twitched – a sure sign of trouble. It was well past dark. The full moon had reached its highest point in the sky and the lanterns scattered through Nettledown were dimming. This wasn't right.

* * *

Poppy stirred at the sound of the door opening. It was late and she knew that her parents weren't expecting guests tonight. She also knew that it couldn't be Burdoch or Dander, her brothers – they were off fishing near Bree this weekend. Curiosity swept over her. She crept from her chair and across the living room, resituating herself between her father's desk and entrance to the hallway. She held her breath. Peeking around the corner her heart skipped a beat. It was another dwarf! Taller than the other two! What were the chances though of seeing three dwarves in the space of a few hours in the sleepy, boring Shire? Maybe it was a sign of something exciting and wonderful to come.

* * *

Daisy awoke with a start at the sound of voices murmuring near her bedroom door. It sounded like two men! Maybe one was her Daddy! She hadn't seen him in over a week and maybe he was stopping by to tuck her in. Excitement swept over her and she hopped out of bed. She grabbed Merry, her teddy bear, by the paw and hiked up the hem of her too long nightdress in her other hand and ran to the door. Being as sneaky as possible, she jumped up and twisted the doorknob open. She didn't know how to feel – it wasn't her Daddy standing in their hallway. It was her grandpa and a dwarf! She gasped loudly, eyes widening. It was a dwarf! A real life dwarf!

* * *

Yes, when Jumbo answered the door to his little hobbit hole he didn't find the local drunk, or Mrs Fairweather asking for sugar, he found a dwarf. Jumbo was shocked. He hadn't clapped eyes on a dwarf in nearly five decades.

"Mr Baggins?" The stranger asked. His voice was strong, befitting of the regal air that seemed to surround him and force its way into his home.

"No, I'm sorry sir. Mr Baggins lives but twenty minutes to the East of our village, in Hobbiton." Jumbo said. 'What would a dwarf want with Baggins? Bloody Tooks' "Would you like to come in out of the cold sir?"

The burly dwarf looked dismayed. He shook his head, the braids in his silver-black mane of hair swaying slightly. "Nay, I have a meeting I must attend. I would appreciate it however if you could set me on the right road though."

"Aye, this way sir" Jumbo walked past the dwarf and out of his home. The air was brisk and he shivered. At times like this he wished he had more hair on his feet. He opened the gate and walked the rocky path to the top of the next hill, stopping to wait for the travelling dwarf who had re-shouldered his pack and stomped sluggishly after the aging hobbit. "Just follow the trail straight through the next field and you should come to the watchman's house at the edge of Hobbiton. He'll show you exactly where Baggins' home is."

The dwarf looked out into the darkness of the Shire. He could just make out the lanterns bordering the next village, and the fires from a new of the homes glowing through the windows. Warmth filled the dwarf. Excitement trembled through his body. He could smell the forges of home. The end of heartache was a fae's breathe away. His destiny was calling - Just over the next hill.

* * *

_HI THERE! Sorry for being so awful and not updating this story. I'm back in England for the Easter weekend and I've finally finished my exams! So let's hope I have another chapter out soon._

_Anyways as always, I've tried to capture characters correctly and not make any 'Mary-Sueish', but please let me know if I need to work on the characters! I am to please, so any help would be hugely appreciated._

_Thank you so far to all those who have reviewed, favourited, followed and even read. It means the world to me :) HeavensWeatherHellsCompany and Me - Thanks for the reviews, they were such a nice surprise._

_Enjoy your evenings/days._


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